DeepL翻訳で小説を訳せるのか？

第3話のアクションパートを訳してみた。

　続きまして、第3話をDeepL翻訳に突っ込んでみました。

　軽いアクションシーンがあるパートです。では早速、英文を見ていきましょう。

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　I felt like I was having a bad dream.

　I got crushed by a bookshelf in my lab, and the next thing I know, I'm in an otherworldly hell.

　According to the self-proclaimed goddess of hell, I was deemed unwanted by the world and sent to another world.

　I wasn't sure about the details of the story, but I guess that's about it.

　Next thing I know, I'm lying on my back in the woods.

　The sunshine leaking through the trees was dazzling. The time is about noon, isn't it?

　Or rather, where are we?

　I didn't recognize the trees around me, and the atmosphere was somewhat unremarkable, but it seemed not to be the case in Japan.

　What if I'm really in a dream?

　Looking at his own body, he looked just like he did when he was in the lab.

　A cheap suit and shirt bought at a mass merchant, and leather shoes. Poking around in his pockets revealed a box of freshly sealed cigarettes, a lighter, an iPhone with a broken screen, a wallet and a handkerchief, all the same as before, except the iPhone was crumpled up.

I wonder if I can get my iPhone repaired and under warranty.

　As I uttered my dumb line, I heard something in the distance.

　The sound is like something solid colliding with each other. Mixed in with that was the sound of a human voice, or what sounded like the roar of a beast.

　Instinctively looking for a weapon to defend himself, he found a nice looking tree branch falling under his feet. It's about the size of a wooden sword in a souvenir shop. I wonder if it was snapped by the wind and rain.

　It's hard to protect yourself in a strange land, but it's better than nothing.

　I grab my handful of sticks and start walking in the direction of the sound.

　I don't know where we are, but maybe there are people who can relate to the language.

　I tiptoe slowly in the direction of the sound, clawing my way through the grass.

　Eventually, when I got close enough to hear the sound clearly, I began to regret my actions.

--The sound of metal and stone colliding with each other.

--a woman's voice cursing at her opponent, though I'm not sure what she's saying.

--A beastly cry.

　The sound I heard was clearly swarthy -- reminiscent of trouble with violence.

　However, we can't afford not to come this far to find out what's going on. He slowly pushed his hand through the vegetation and peered in...

Imps, goblins...?

　A goblin, a petite demon with green skin, familiar from fantasy RPGs.

　The group was fighting something. The number is probably seven.

Gyoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　The goblins roared, bare of hostility.

　When I looked at the ground, I saw about ten goblins lying on the ground. The blood flowed from his body and there was no sign of movement. I wonder if he's dead.

　The back of my throat quivered with fear.

　It's a nightmare. This must be a dream.

　He was about to scream and run away when...

　My gaze caught the goblin and the one who was fighting.

Is that a woman?

　Surrounded by an ugly imp is a single girl.

　He was dressed in simple leather armor and wielded a slender, long sword as he fought.

　Even from a distance, she was a beautiful girl.

　Her blonde hair, aligned at her shoulders, was like fine silk. His emerald eyes, with a fighting spirit, cut open as he looked at the goblins. Her sleek white skin was supercilious with excitement, and you could see the sweat oozing from her eyes.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!　■■■■■!

　The girl uttered the words. I don't know what you're talking about.

　Are you intimidating the goblins, or are you inspiring yourself?

　However, the goblins jumped at the girl's voice without even flinching.

　A bright silver glint caught the goblin's neck with the sound of the wind breaking.

　A splash of blood fluttered and the abominable monster let out a scream of apocalypse.

　The girl who was bathed in blood in return frowned. Taking the opportunity, another goblin attacked from behind.

　At that moment, the girl lightly turned herself around and thrust her sword at the goblin's chest.

　Once again, the voice of the final victim echoes through the forest.

　Even though I'm not familiar with martial arts, I could see that the girl's skill was outstanding. The dozen or so goblins lying on the ground must have been her, too.

　At this rate, he will be able to slaughter the goblins without difficulty.

　But just as I was about to be relieved, the girl's beautiful face took on an astonishing color.

　The sword thrust into the goblin would not fall out.

'Güluaaahhhhhh!'

　A goblin with a club in his hand jumped on the girl. The murder weapon swung by the kesa-kagura, grazing the girl's face.

　It looked like-- it looked like a dodge. However, she staggered back and fell on her buttocks on the spot. His forehead, or his chin--he was hit so badly, he might have had a concussion.

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　A girl is losing her weapon and is on the verge of losing consciousness. Seeing this, the goblins made triumphant noises.

　What the monsters thought, they dropped their weapons and surrounded the girl, pushing her down on her back with all their might. The girl tried to go on the rampage, but she couldn't wriggle out of the way with her limbs held tightly together.

　The goblin with a larger body, which seems to be the leader, kicked the girl in the flank abominably.

　One shot, two shots, three shots - each time a feeble moan escaped the girl's mouth.

We have to save her.

　I couldn't move, even as I thought so.

　The all too primitive violence wielded before our eyes. Fear numbed the recesses of my brain, and I couldn't think about what I was supposed to do.

　Eventually, when the girl stopped moving, the goblin leader stepped up to the body of his companion.　

　Then, the girl pulls out the sword that she thrust into her with all her might. The monster, carrying a sword dripping with blood, smiled abominably and approached the girl.

They're going to kill her.

　I shuddered at the fear of people dying in front of me.

　However, his aim was far more evil than I expected.

　With the sword in his hand, the goblin leader proceeded to chop up not the girl's body, but her leather armor and clothing. Politely, slowly, as if playing...

　Before long, everything that covered the girl's body was removed.

　Her fresh, blood-stained naked body was covered in blue bruises in places. I can see her well-shaped breasts rising and falling, and apparently she's still conscious. But it seemed that there was no longer any physical strength or will left to resist.

　The goblins cheered when they saw the girl who made no sign of resistance.

　The goblins, grabbing the girl's hair and forcing her to sit upright, laid her down on her haunches.

　The goblin that held her head pressed the girl's face to the ground as if she was licking dirt.

　The other goblin lifted her hips and opened her crotch--

　This must be a bad dream. It must be a dream. I tell myself that.

　When he wakes up, he will surely be back in his bed at home or in his lab.

　There's no evil monster or girl about to be raped in real life.

　If that's the case...

　The hand gripping the wooden stick was full of power.

　The shaking in his body had stopped before he knew it.

I'm not afraid of you, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

　I jumped out of the grass screaming and charged into a pack of goblins, wielding a stick.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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　前回に続き、擬音の訳に若干の問題が見て取れます。

「iPhoneがバキバキになっている以外は、前のままだ。」という文章の訳文を見ると、「all the same as before, except the iPhone was crumpled up.」となっています。

　日本語の日常会話で、「スマホがバキバキになる」と言えば、画面にひび割れが入っている様子を想像する人が多いと思うのですが、DeepLはスマホ自体がグチャグチャになっている（crumpled up）と解釈している模様。これは仕方がないですね。AIに「スマホバキバキ」のニュアンスを読み取れというのは無理な話です。

　日本人はよく肩こりのことを「肩（背中）バキバキ」などと表現しますが、DeepLに訳させると肩甲骨が複雑骨折しちゃうかもしれません。

　そう思ってDeepLに「肩がバキバキ」と入力してみたところ、「My shoulders are throbbing.（私の肩がズキズキ痛む）」と訳してきました。おお、すごいぞDeepL！　スマホバキバキのニュアンスを拾える日は、そう遠くない気がします。

　DeepLは、日本語特有の表現である「主語の省略」を、かなり正確に補ってくれるのですが、ときどきミスが出ます。

　今回の文章だと、「本能的に身を守る武器を探すと、足下に良い感じの木の枝が落ちていた。」が「Instinctively looking for a weapon to defend himself, he found a nice looking tree branch falling under his feet.」と訳されています。

　主人公の一人称視点で描かれる小説（ウェブ小説でよくある）は、主語を省略する機会が多いと思うので、これは要注意ですね。

　ほかにも、「醜悪な小鬼に囲まれているのは、一人の少女。／簡素な皮鎧に身を包み、細身の長剣を振るって戦っていた。」が、「Surrounded by an ugly imp is a single girl.／He was dressed in simple leather armor and wielded a slender, long sword as he fought.」になっているところを発見。

　前段に登場した「少女（girl）」が、後段で「彼（He）」になってしまっています。

　さて、問題のアクションシーンですが、意外とちゃんと訳せているように見えます。

　が、ところどころ妙な訳文があり、例えば「棍棒を手にしたゴブリンが少女に飛びかかった。袈裟懸けに振り下ろされた凶器が、少女の顔をかすめる。」が「A goblin with a club in his hand jumped on the girl. The murder weapon swung by the kesa-kagura, grazing the girl's face.」になっています。

　どうやら「袈裟懸け」という言葉を上手く訳せなかったようで、「the kesa-kagura」という謎概念が生み出されているようです。

「袈裟懸け」のような表現は、翻訳に突っ込む前に「銅を狙って斜めに振り下ろした」のような平易な文に書き換えた方がよさそうです。

　以上ざっと見た感じ、そんなに複雑ではないアクションシーンなら、DeepL翻訳はバッチリ訳してくれそうだということが分かりました。すげえぞ、DeepL。